Dar es Salaam. Vietnam has pledged to deepen cooperation with East African countries, drawing on the principles of its founding leader, Ho Chi Minh, including national independence, solidarity and people-centred development.
The Vietnamese Ambassador to Tanzania, Vu Thanh Huyen, made the remarks on August 28, 2026, during a seminar organised by the Embassy of Vietnam under the theme, “Ho Chi Minh – A Journey of Legacy: Ho Chi Minh’s Thought and Development Cooperation between Vietnam and East Africa.”
Ambassador Huyen said the seminar sought to preserve and promote the values, ideas and legacy of Ho Chi Minh while strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Vietnam and East African countries.
She said despite the geographical distance between Vietnam and Africa, the two sides share important historical experiences, particularly in dealing with the effects of colonialism, defending national sovereignty and independence, promoting self-reliance and pursuing people-centred development.
“The aim of this seminar is to promote the enduring values, thoughts and legacy of President Ho Chi Minh, while strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Vietnam and East African countries,” she said.
Huyen said the spirit of solidarity forged during national liberation struggles should now be translated into practical cooperation, particularly in trade, technology and people-to-people relations.
She identified stronger air connectivity, expanded academic exchanges and the promotion of high-tech agriculture as some of the areas that could deepen cooperation.
She said such cooperation could help strengthen food security and address the effects of climate change, while digital trade and new systems could connect businesses, markets and people between Vietnam and East Africa.
Huyen also recalled that during the early stages of his political struggle, Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Ai Quoc, linked Vietnam’s struggle with anti-colonial movements in different parts of the world, including Africa.
Shared history
The Ethiopian Ambassador to Tanzania, Fekadu Beyene Ayana, said there were similarities between Ho Chi Minh’s ideas on national liberation and those of early African leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere and Patrice Lumumba.
Ambassador Ayana said the common foundation was the desire for independence and the right to self-determination.
According to him, liberation went beyond political independence to include economic freedom, social justice and the right of people to determine their own destiny.
He also stressed the importance of national unity, education, self-reliance and international solidarity, saying the values remained relevant to strengthening friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Africa.
David Muya, from the Department of International Relations at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), said historical friendship could remain sustainable if each generation continued to renew it through learning, working and innovating together.
He said exchanges among students, lecturers and researchers could help generate knowledge while building trust, cultural understanding and lasting professional networks.
Muya said UDSM supported bilateral cooperation that links education and research with practical development challenges in the region, including agriculture and food security, rural development, small and medium-sized enterprises, vocational training, digital transformation and climate change.
Participants also explored opportunities for greater cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, communications, education and training, science and technology, human capital development and people-to-people relations.
From the private sector, Halotel Tanzania Managing Director Bui Van Thang highlighted the role of business in strengthening economic ties and improving communication and people-to-people relations between Vietnam and Tanzania.
The seminar brought together diplomats, academics, lecturers, UDSM students, businesspeople and representatives from various institutions in Tanzania, Vietnam and Ethiopia.
It was also attended by Vietnamese companies operating in the region, including Viettel Tanzania (Halotel) and Viettel Burundi (Lumitel), as well as Ethiopian Airlines.
